Flash Fiction: Selfie

Outside the Ministry of Self Expression, Lakshmi finished posing for her government mandated, hourly selfie. The photo was automatically tagged with her location and her mood, analyzed via face recognition software and resting heart rate.

Within seconds of posting, she received several likes, and notice that one of her followers was within a few meters of her location. These days you were expected to engage with your public face-to-face. Lakshmi smiled.

But the man in the red shirt delivered no friendly greeting, only an ominous warning: “Crest sales are down. We need you to show your teeth when you smile.”